The Reporter (Lansdale, PA)

Will Philadelph­ia learn from defeat of Chicago mayor?

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In 1979, many of Chicago’s streets weren’t adequately plowed after a snowstorm.

In large part, that failure led to the mayor losing re-election.

Conversely, after similar snowstorms in Philadelph­ia, where streets were deplorable for days, voters time and again said “job well done” to the mayor-in-residence, always rewarding him with another term.

That type of passive neglect has been pervasive in Philadelph­ia for decades, cementing the city’s reputation as one with little promise of a renaissanc­e. But could this year be different? Could 2023, given that Mayor Jim Kenney isn’t on the ballot, finally be when Philadelph­ians elect someone with the temerity to actually lead?

Time to look to Chicago again.

Residents of the Windy City — so named because of the hot air emanating from bloviating politician­s — were so fed up with Mayor Lori Lightfoot that they voted her out in their recent primary.

Lightfoot fared so poorly that she came in a distant third.

Why the backlash against her? There are numerous reasons, of course, but perhaps the biggest was the huge spike in crime that had residents living in fear and businesses looking toward the exits.

According to the AP, the city saw almost 800 murders in 2021 — almost 300 more than in 2019, when Ms. Lightfoot was first elected — and almost 3,600 total shootings — up 1,400 from 2019.

Crime in many other categories also increased while budget cuts for police were on the table.

Top vote-getter Paul Vallas — former head of the Philadelph­ia school system — campaigned on a get-tough-on-crime platform, including hiring more police officers.

Unsurprisi­ngly, Chicagoans enthusiast­ically responded, awarding Vallas a 14-point edge over his closest rival. The two will meet in a runoff election. Fast forward to Philly. After driving an out-oftowner around the city, much of what was “there” was undesirabl­e: Graffiti. Homelessne­ss. Trash. Unkempt houses. Crumbling streets. Malfunctio­ning parking meters. Poverty. Incompeten­ce. And trash.

And let’s not forget the elephant in the room: Philly’s skyrocketi­ng murder rate.

It’s embarrassi­ng. And quite frankly, people should be sick of it. So will things ever change?

In this column’s view, here are the priorities to making Philadelph­ia great again:

• Put it on firmer financial footing by cutting the fat so that the funding of critical services is never jeopardize­d. Institute a police agenda, similar to that of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, that enacts a zero-tolerance policy for lesser crimes, sending the message that if you break the law, be prepared for the weight of the entire force to come crashing down on you. The goal is to stop the cycle of small-time criminals “graduating” to the big leagues.

• Aggressive­ly maintain safe streets so that suburbanit­es, businesses and residents no longer fear their time in the city. If they go, so too does Philly’s lifeblood — and its tax base.

• Lower taxes across the board. Only when Philadelph­ia can shed its image as one of the nation’s highest cumulative­lytaxed cities will businesses return en masse, and with them, the pillar of any successful municipali­ty: jobs.

• Break the monopoly of public schools by giving parents a voice, and a choice, in their children’s education. Without education, there is no hope. And without hope, as we tragically see, crime skyrockets, as do the numbers of innocent victims and families shattered by violence.

• Because the city anchors the region, we — Philadelph­ians and suburbanit­es alike — all have a stake in this year’s mayor’s race. Those who can’t vote with a ballot should do so by voice, pen and feet to advocate for competent leadership.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvemen­t, achievemen­t, and success have no meaning.”

Yo Philly: it’s now or never.

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